MICHAEL AN GOF

'Michael Joseph' (better known as 'Michael An Gof', where ''An Gof'' is Cornish for "blacksmith"; died 24 June 1497) and Thomas Flamank (a Bodmin landowner's son and London lawyer) were the leaders of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497.
The rebels marched on London to protest at King Henry VII's levying a tax to pay for an invasion of Scotland in retaliation for the Scots' support for the pretender Perkin Warbeck. The Cornish believed that this was a northern affair and had nothing to do with them; they also believed that the tax was the work of the King's corrupt counsellors and marched to London to bring this to the King's attention.
They were hopeful of gaining support from people in Kent – the focus of Jack Cade's rebellion of 1450 – but despite heading to Cade's former rallying site at Blackheath they gained little backing.
As a result, the Cornish rebels were beaten by the King's forces at the Battle of Deptford Bridge on 17 June 1497 on a site adjacent to the River Ravensbourne. An Gof fled to Greenwich after the battle, but was captured and sent to the Tower of London.
As one of the leaders, An Gof was executed with Flamank on 24 June 1497. Deemed to be traitors, they were hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn and their heads displayed on pike-staffs on London Bridge. Just before his execution, An Gof is recorded to have said that he would have "a name perpetual and a fame permanent and immortal".
In 1997, the 500th anniversary of the rebellion, a commemorative march ("Keskerdh Kernow 500") was held, retracing the route of the original march from St. Keverne (An Gof's home town in Cornwall) to London. A statue depicting An Gof and Flamank was unveiled in St Keverne and a commemorative plaque was unveiled on Blackheath common.

Contents
Other uses
References
See also
External links

Other uses


An Gof's name was later used by a Cornish nationalist terrorist organisation.[1]
The Holyer An Gof trophy is an annual award for the best publication on Cornwall,[1] and part of the Cornish Gorsedd (Gorseth Kernow).

References


1. ''Holyer An Gof Award'' [2]

See also



List of topics related to Cornwall

External links



Mychal Josef an Gof "The Smith"

The Battle of Deptford Bridge (Blackheath) 1497

The Cornish Rebellion

"A name perpetual and a fame permanent and immortal"

The Black Heath Rebellion

The Black Heath Rebellion, 16 June 1497

Michael An Gof, the Cornish Blacksmith

Michael Joseph

1997 Keskerdh Kernow 500

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